Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Norway
Norway: Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) was 69.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Norway, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Norway recorded 69.3% for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and down 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Norway peaked at 82.6% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 65.5%, in 2020.
That places Norway 114th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 48 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Norway, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 82.6% | — |
| 1970 | 74.9% | -9.3% |
| 1980 | 79.5% | +6.2% |
| 1981 | 79.3% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 79.4% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 78.5% | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 78.5% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 78.1% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 78.4% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 78.7% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 78.6% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 77.3% | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 76.5% | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 74.6% | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 74.5% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 73.9% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 74.3% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 74.3% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 76.0% | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 77.7% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 78.5% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 77.8% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 78.3% | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 78.2% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 77.7% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 76.5% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 76.0% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 75.8% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 75.4% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 75.8% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 76.9% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 75.6% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 75.0% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 73.9% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 74.3% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 73.8% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 73.5% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 73.7% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 73.3% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 72.3% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 72.9% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 69.6% | -4.5% |
| 2020 | 65.5% | -5.9% |
| 2021 | 71.5% | +9.1% |
| 2022 | 69.3% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 69.2% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 69.1% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 69.3% | +0.3% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 69.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 69.5%, 100% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Norway's 69.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 68.2%, 1.0× the median. (54 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 82.6% | 82.6% | 82.6% | 1 |
| 1970s | 74.9% | 74.9% | 74.9% | 1 |
| 1980s | 78.6% | 77.3% | 79.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.8% | 73.9% | 78.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.6% | 75.4% | 78.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.2% | 69.6% | 75.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.0% | 65.5% | 71.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Norway
More work & labour data for Norway
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.2322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.2413 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.2229 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7506 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,138 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 663.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,690 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,724 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,414 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Norway?
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Norway was 69.3% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 82.6% in 1960.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.5% in 2020.
- How does Norway rank for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+)?
- Norway ranks 114th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.